Food for astronauts, new space gardening and an experiment with the formation of cement in microgravity are ready to go on Monday to the ISS on board the unmanned spacecraft Cygnus from Orbital ATK.
Experimental cold experiment also refers to 3 tons of cargo, which is planned to be sent by rocket Antares from the island of Wallops (Virginia). Cygnus delivery will be the 10th in the Orbital ATK launch series, due to a $ 1.9 billion contract from NASA to replenish the orbital outpost. SpaceX also assigned part of the missions implemented with the Falcon 9 and Dragon missiles.
NASA reports that cloudy weather created a 35% chance of launch deposition. If there is a delay, then the start can be held on Tuesday or Wednesday. On board are 34 new experiments, including one that is able to create the coldest artificial temperature in space - the Cold Atom (CAL). It can form a temperature 10 billion times colder than the universal vacuum. Then lasers and magnetic forces are used to slow down the atoms, until they become practically stationary. The research results will help improve technology, including sensors, quantum computers and atomic clocks. There is also the first European space system aimed at expanding access for researchers and the space laboratory, offering experimental “plug-and-play” cubes. They are inexpensive and easy to install / remove.
To create a camp on Mars, you need to take care of places to live and protect astronauts with equipment. One of the experiments is aimed at checking how cement acts in space, and whether it will harden. Do not forget about Plant Habitat-01 - a project that can improve the quality of growing their own food by astronauts. If everything goes according to plan, the ship will arrive on the ISS on Thursday.
